Dinner Extravaganza

This evening the GWU Admissions Office was kind enough to invite all staff members and student employees to dinner at Carmine's Italian Restaurant in Chinatown! Over 100 people attended the dinner that was full of tasty food and fun conversation. It was great to get together with everyone we've worked with and relax for a bit, particularly with our final exams fast approaching.

The walk home however, was the true surprise. My roommate and I decided to skip the metro and walk the 20 minutes or so back to campus because of how beautiful the weather is tonight. On the way home we ran into quite a few things and I snapped some pictures to record the journey!

In this one, I tried to catch the CAPITOL in my hand! 

Typical GW territory.

Fun night Bike Tour in front of the White House (with blinking lights)! 

Our Hippo:) 

We even passed a group of people celebrating after their Thursday night kickball league. Check out their link http://www.dckickball.org/ !! After a great walk, we made it back to campus and passed our forever loving unofficial mascot, the GDub HIPPO!

For all you future hippos, feel free to email me with any questions! alexab@gwmail.gwu.edu

Alexa

NYC for the Day!

Last week, I had the pleasure of going on a trip to New York City to represent the Undergraduate Engineering School through the School of Engineering and Applied Science Student Peer Advisory Network (SEASSPAN). SEASSPAN is that mentor program I had previously mentioned I am apart of-- definitely one of my favorite on-campus commitments. 

So, the mentor program president and myself went up to NYC to attend a dinner with an undergraduate admission office and a professor from the engineering department. We attended a dinner at Atlantic Grill in Manhattan for students who had been admitted into the engineering school. And then I got to stay in this cute little bed and breakfast style hotel about 10 block uptown. 

Atlantic Grill- The yummy restaurant we ate at

Working in the undergraduate office for the engineering school and being a mentor has really showed me I love talking to students and their parents about GW and SEAS so I had a great time on the trip. It was obviously also nice to have a fabulous three course dinner and stay in a hotel on a “school night”, for free.

The trip ultimately showed me the beauty of living in DC though because as a GW student, we do have the option of getting away to New York for the day when ever we feel like it. Although the train can often be rather expensive, the bus is dirt cheap and sometimes only  $1 when you book it in advance. And the buses are SO nice! They have wireless internet, comfortable, nice seating, and you can sit on the top floor of the bus with all the nice windows. To top it all off-- the bus stop is right at Union Station which is easily metro accessible. Life is good as a GDub student! 

Until next time: if you have any questions, comments or just want to chat-- always remember I am only an email away! anstone@gwmail.gwu.edu

Stay classy future Colonials,

Alyse

In Transition

To all incoming members of The George Washington University Class of 2016, congratulations! If you haven't already received notification, you should within the next few days. For more information, be sure to check out the Office of Undergraduate Admissions website.

For everybody reading, I wanted to write a brief note about the admissions experience.

Waiting for those college acceptance letters can be tough. I still remember how concerned I was during the college admissions process. From my perspective, four years later, the most important thing about the experience is to learn as much as you can from it.

Stoicism is noble; it also fulfills general curriculum requirements

Even if I hadn't realized that decision letters were going out, I might very well have ended writing on this topic: it turns out graduating from college brings some of the same excitement, and the some of the same stress, as one feels going in. Waiting to hear back from prospective employers about interviews isn't easy--nor is waiting to hear those graduate school acceptances. Even when you are admitted or hired, financial considerations can complicate matters further.

There's no easy answer for any of the challenges life throws at us. But the same things that make college applications competitive--hard work, an early start, and perseverance--can really make the difference going out as well.

Whether you're at GW or another institution, that admissions season feeling will keep cropping up. Just keep working hard, and everything will work out.

Adam
--
Next Time: More on my job search. For admitted students, I'll also share my personal "Top Ten Reasons to Choose GW."

Congrats to the Class of 2016!!!

Hey guys! I am back again, FINALLY!

Before I tell you my excuse for being gone so long, I would like to first and foremost congratulate all of you who have been accepted to GW!!! Watch your mail boxes closely the next few days for the beautiful admissions packages we send out. Hands down, out of the 26 schools I applied to, GWU was a.) the beautifulest admissions package I received (and it wasn't my only one, I promise :) ) and b.) was my cheapest option out of those schools I was accepted to. Sit down, relax, talk with your parents and consider your options as the acceptance letters flood in. I know you will make the right decision and know that GW has truly changed my life.

Secondly, the reason I have been gone so long is because I have spent all my free time taking over our visit and tour guide programs. I have a co-coordinator (who you will meet very soon as she is also a new blogger), but in the mean time, feel free to reach out to me for all overnight and classroom visit requests at gwvisit@gwu.edu. As well, when you have a wonderful tour on either Foggy Bottom or Mount Vernon, be sure to thank that wonderful student volunteers I oversee. 

I can't wait to see many of you as we reach our busiest visit time here in April! Be sure to stop by the Welcome Center to say hi and again always, feel more than welcome to reach out to me at brmoore@gwmail.gwu.edu. Congrats again to all the new Colonials and know that GW is the land of your dreams!

Peace, Love and Hippos!

Brandon

Admissions Decisions

Congrats to all those who were recently accepted to GWU!  You fought some stiff competition to get here, and we can't wait to have you on board!

George Welcomes You!

For those who don't know, GW offers full-ride scholarships to exceptional students attending DC public schools.  They found out about their awesome accomplishment today!  Here are some of the outstanding new Colonials staying local to the district!

But whether you're local or coming from far, GW welcomes you with open arms!  See you next year! 

<3 Shireen

Celebrating 2012 in DC!!!

Good luck in a bowl for one :)

So, I'm probably on of the earliest students to get back on campus. Although classes do not resume until January 17th, I returned on December 30th for a multitude of reasons. Originally, I was going to go see the ball drop with a friend in NYC, but that feel through right before coming back. But you know what...no big deal!!!! There is always next year and anyways, there were plenty of things to in DC. On New Years Eve I went out to Alexandria to catch some of their First Night festivities, but came back before midnight to watch Lady Gaga and the ball drop. You will see on the side that I went to the Foggy Bottom Whole Foods and picked up their last 2 ounces of black eyed peas to cook for myself.

Despite campus being a bit dead because most students are back home, I got to go to three basketball games and witnessed the Colonials get back on track with a decisive defeat of Delaware State University and the Lady Colonials go toe to toe with the #11 Rutgers University Scarlet Knights and then defeat cross town rival American University. I was a very happy Colonial and look forward to further success as both teams head into their Atlantic 10 conference stretches.

On a final note, the reason I came back early is to help in the Admissions Office and process the applications hopefully many of you will be sending to us in the next two weeks before the January 10th deadline for both Early Decision II (ED II) and Regular Decision. Please oh please feel free to call us with any questions or concerns because we are here to help you and get everything clarified before the deadline so you can be reviewed for the stellar student you are.

Make a great decision to start of 2012
and apply to GW using Common App or
the GW Application

I hope you have a had a phenomenal Winter holiday season and wish you a happy, safe and prosperous 2012 and for many of you, I hope you make the right decision by sending us your application and then choosing to attend GW. As always, email me with any questions about anything under the sun and I will get back to you soon :)

Peace, Love and Hippos,

Brandon Moore
brmoore@gwmail.gwu.edu

Internal Transferring and Studying Across Schools!!!

They call me the master of transferring and I am still on my game!!! In my freshman year, I switched from the Elliott School of International Affairs to the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences. This year I have transferred from Columbian into the GW School of Business.  A few days ago we received a question along the lines of if it was possible to switch from Columbian to Business and I am here to tell you that, and almost any other move, it is completely possible within your first two years.

There are 6 schools here at GW which are as follows: Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, Elliott School of International Affairs, School of Media and Public Affairs, School of Engineering and Applied Science, GW School of Business and the School of Public Health and Health Services. A student generally can transfer around easily withing their first two years if the maintain a 3.0 GPA. However, the Elliott School GPA requirement tend to be a bit higher (around a 3.5) and some schools will want you to have taken certain courses before transferring in order to make sure you stay on track to graduate within four years. The process is as simple as filling out the following form http://www.gwu.edu/staticfile/GW/Admissions%20-%20Undergraduate/transferreadmit.pdf , meeting with advisers in both schools and bring the form to the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Another thing to note is that it is very easy to study across schools. If you wanted to study Business Administration in the GW School of Business and were say a Sociology major in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences, you could complete a Secondary Field of Study in Business Administration so you would not have to transfer to that school. Secondary Fields also exist in the School of Media and Public Affairs (Journalism and Mass Communication), the Elliott School of International Affairs (International Affairs) and any minor in the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences is eligible to be completed as a Secondary Field in that discipline.

I hope this answered all your questions about moving around schools and studying across schools, but if not always feel free to e-mail me and I will give you an answer or find you one. To all ED 1 applicants, decisions will be out before you know it here in mid-December.

Peace Love and Hippos,

Brandon
brmoore@gwmail.gwu.edu

"What are GW students like?"

Hi everyone! I recently got an email from David, an admitted prospective freshman at GW! Here was his question...

"What can you tell me about students at GW? What is student life like? What do you do for fun? Are they the kind of students who just like to party, to stay up late talking about politics, some healthy mix, or something completely different? What would you tell someone like me who has never met a GW student before about GW students as a whole?"


This question was a hard one to answer because there is no way I can generalize about the GW campus!! Students at GW are a mix like at any school/ There are definitely a large amount of people who come from the East Coast, and then a mix of people from everywhere else in the U.S. and abroad. A large percentage of the campus is involved in Greek life (around 25%) which can show more of the "party" aspect of the school at times. But personally, I do not find it to be overwhelming because most of my friends are not involved. My friends are are a healthy mix of fun and serious intellect but most of my friends are in the Elliott School for International Affairs. I think it really depends on your major and who you take classes with!

Student life is great for me because I wasn't interested in coming to a school with a lot of school spirit, truthfully. If you want to be really involved in student life on campus, then it is easy to get involved with campus administration, Greek life, sports events, student organizations, and so much more! I have been involved greatly with one student organization but it is based off campus and then I've been involved with admissions through this blogging position!

For fun, students do anything from going on midnight monument tours, hanging out in dorms playing games/being crazy on the weekends, going out to dinner or clubs, walking around Georgetown, sitting outside on campus when it's sunny, going to movies, volunteering around campus and off-campus, and more. It is really a normal mix of student fun except that we are in a very urban city which leads to a more involved lifestyle with the city for example. 

I hope that answered your question, David, and also you other readers! Email me if you have any other questions! I know it's getting close to your decision deadline so make sure you make an educated decision :) marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu

- Marisa

Admitted Freshman Days

Hi everyone! Thanks to all the incoming freshman who came out to the Admitted Freshman Visit Days, I hope you really enjoyed yourselves and it helped you make a choice about our school. It was fun seeing the campus packed with students, parents, and questions about maps.

George and some nice flower blossoms :)

On the other hand, when I visited GW, I didn't enjoy my tour guide as much as I had hoped to and that left me with a strange opinion about GW. I loved the campus, the classes, the major I intended on, and everything- except that my tour guide seemed to be involved in 50 million things and never had any time to relax. Now that I am here at the school, those people still exist, but not within my sphere of involvement on campus. So if you have any questions regarding types of people at GW/strange tour guides/anything else, please let me know so I can clear up any misconceptions!

If you still are unsure as to how to schedule a visit, look here on the Admissions website. You can register online for information sessions and tours of both campuses or choose to schedule meetings with coaches, classroom visits, and overnight stays.

If you are unable to make any of these tours and need an idea of the campus or have other questions, please email me at marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu. I am more than willing to chat with you all about anything!
- Marisa

Why Come to GW?

Hi everyone! I've had a few questions lately from accepted students unable to come to April Visit Days. I was one of you, coming all of way from Portland, Oregon, and I wasn't able to make it out to DC to see the school before deciding to come here. It is a leap of faith, but you have a lot of resources here to help you make an educated decision and all of the bloggers here at Admissions are always happy to help you with any question you may have during your decision process!!

Hottie.. without a body

REASONS TO COME TO GWU:

• Well, as everyone knows, it's cool to go to school in the nation's capital
• Our mascot is the hippo, which is way cooler than many schools I know
• Our urban campus is very unique and gives you the opportunity to experience city living while still having a quiet campus on the weekends and access to green space on the mall
• The student body is generally active and engaged in the community/politics/city
• GW hopefully gave you a great financial aid package, because around 70-80% of students receive some sort of package from the school
• We have unique programs such as the Women's Leadership Program, Honors, and Living and Learning Cohorts
• Teachers usually teach on the side while working/doing research in DC, which gives you a unique opportunity to hear about their "real lives"
• GW brings in tons of great speakers, as you probably have seen in past blog posts (recently: Hillary Clinton, IMF director, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar, and more)
• Great dorms with easy ways to live with friends, your own bathroom, and good apartment living
• Variety of options and encouragement to study abroad in non-traditional places
• Our meal plan is unique in the sense that it is very flexible- we don't have any cafeterias and can use the money towards groceries at Safeway or things you need from CVS
• International student body is diverse and visible on campus
• Student organizations are very involved on campus and in the city and give you awesome opportunities!

Like I said, you want to come here

Always email me if we haven't posted something to answer your questions!! marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu
- Marisa

how to choose a college

As many of you are experiencing right now, choosing a college is a HUGE decision!  There are lots of ways to compare all of the schools you have been accepted to, and the pro/con list can go on forever.  Here are some great ways to look at colleges and truly see what environment you will excel in.

What is unique about the program you want to study? And what do you need to do well?-- Your admission choices may or may not have the number _________ program, but there is probably something that makes it unique.  IT can include the research opportunities, class offerings, resources, or even guest speakers.  The number one ranked program in the country may not be the place for you, and that is alright.  If you know you will thrive in smaller classes, look at the average class size for the university/college or the specific program and make sure your needs align with what is offered.

What do you see yourself getting involved in outside of the classroom?-- Many universities are known for their specific social cultures whether that mean Greek life, community service, politics, music, or anything else.  Make sure the university you choose offers a wide range of activities if you are unsure of what you want to be involved in, or has a strong reputation of the specifics you desire.  This will ensure you have a great experience in and out of the classroom.

Make sure you are not going somewhere to follow your friends.-- College is a huge step, and it can be scary at times to think about losing what you know.  However, no one can make this decision for you.  If you end up choosing a school where your best friend is going, GREAT! But that shouldn't be your deciding factor.  You need to decide for you, not your friends.

Follow your gut.-- Unless you can predict the future, you have no idea what will exactly happen during your four years, but you probably have a gut feeling.  It's as simple as that.

VISIT IN APRIL!!!-- Many universities, GW included, hold special days for admitted students who are in the last stages of the college admissions process.  These special visits will give you a better idea of what campus is like and the opportunities you may have by attending.
**If you would like to sign up for a GW April Visit Day please visit the Activity Center.

Good luck with your decisions, and I hope to see a lot of you on campus in the coming days!

Until next time!
Kim

Admissions goes to Florida!

I just got back from a wonderful visit to South Florida for receptions for juniors and admitted students.  For all of you who attended it was great to meet you and here your insightful questions about the university.  (It was also great to get down to a little bit of sun.)

I went with an Admissions Director and an International Affairs Professor and we talked about "our GW's" since we all have a very different perspective of the university.

For the admitted student receptions I kept getting questions about the two campuses, so I thought I would bring it onto the blog as well.

The Foggy Bottom campus, if you haven't visited, is the campus that is a few blocks from the White House, State Department, Kennedy Center, and and definitely more urban than the Mt. Vernon Campus.  Most freshman will be living on the Foggy Bottom campus because only about 700 live on the Vern (as we like to call it).  No matter what campus you live on you can travel between the two with ease.  The Vern Express runs 24 hours a day so if you are studying in the library on Foggy Bottom you can get back home to the Vern easily.  There is also lots of classroom space on the Vern.  The class are usually identical to the sections on the Foggy Bottom campus, but have lower caps on students.  This means you can form relationships with professors, ask questions, and get to know your classmates much faster on the Vern than in a larger lecture on Foggy.

There is dining, studying, activities, and many other things happening on the Vern to make sure it is completely integrated with the other parts of GW.  Many students use it as a stepping stone into a much bigger city than they are used to.  It is nice to be able to have a home-like feeling pulling up to the Vern and walking into your building.  It is much quieter because there are less ambulances/motorcades and a lot more  green space to take advantage of.

Both campuses are great options for all students to look into!  And usually students find a balance between the two campuses.

I hope this helps clear up some questions you may have!  But if you have more please feel free to email me, I love hearing from excited prospective students!

I will leave you with some beautiful pictures I took from my hotel room...

Another Care Package

Another holiday is soon upon us, so you can be sure my mother sent a loving care package my way.

I can't remember if I mentioned this in my last care package post, but a great packing technique my mom uses has double the usefulness!  She uses paper towels in place of major amounts of bubble wrap.  That way things stay still in the box and I can use the paper towel when making food/eating and what not!

Obviously this package had a lot of Easter themed items including jelly beans, peeps, and a little beanie baby lamb (so cute!)

In other news! I am heading to Florida this Sunday-Tuesday for two receptions!  So if you are in the Miami or Boca Raton area and are a prospective student or an admitted student come on by and chat!! Here is a link to see exactly where the receptions are.  Hope to see you there!!

Do you have questions about GW?? Email me!

Until next time!

Kim

My "Please come here!" Post

A friend of mine from high school just found out the other day that she got into GW!  She sent me an email asking me to sell her on the school, so I did my best to pitch GW the best I could with my favorite aspects of my beloved university.  It may seem like shameless pandering, but let it be known that I am 100% sincere in the following--so take it to heart and enjoy! 

~~~"I absolutely love it here, and obviously I'll tout DC til the end.  One of my favorite things about GW is that it's 100% without a doubt THE MOST ingrained university into the city.  It's an urban campus for sure, but you can still tell very easy when you're on campus and when you've ventured off.  And it's so simple to hop on the metro and go anywhere you want!  No shuttles or anything annoying like that--makes interning super easy, as well as actually escaping the school bubble to discover the city in which you live.  People leave Foggy Bottom often, you never feel stuck on campus or confined to a few city blocks.  

Also our dorms are really big and have a lot of commodities most don't have.

Also the student body is really involved and intelligent--there are people who work hard and do little else, people who party hard and work just as hard, and people who party sometimes and work hard, but working hard is ALWAYS in the mix.  I've discussed that with a lot of people and they agree.  You're among a really ambitious, worldly, and educated bunch, and it's easy to find people just as passionate about the things you are.

Also the World Bank is right off campus.

Also the IMF is right off campus. 

Also the State Department is right off campus.

Also THE WHITE HOUSE is 3 blocks from campus.

It's just really cool here."~~~

I had to add that stuff at the end, am I right?  I mean, those are really big selling points!  I hope you keep reading my posts and don't think I'm just trying to fluff up GW and not tell the truth, this is really how I feel about my school.  Everyone should like the college they pick as much as I like it here, so just go out there and make sure you pick what's right for YOU!

Send me emails asking whatever--I love answering!

~~~Shireen

Class of 2015: Get ready for next fall!

Hello and congratulations to all of you who were accepted to the class of 2015! All of us here on campus are so excited to get to know you through classes, student organizations, and around campus. The first thing you'll experience on campus will be Colonial Inauguration, the welcome period on campus over the summer when you are able to get an introduction to GW and all we do here. A few years ago, Steven Knapp, President of GW, met with some students and gave them advice about coming to GW while they were at CI. See the video below!



See you soon and keep in touch by reading our blog posts about GW life and asking questions! If you have a topic you'd like me to address, email me at marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu
- Marisa

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2015!!

We are so excited for you to be the next set of Colonials!  Look for your acceptance packet in the mail in the next few days, but in the mean time here are some great resources to check out!

Freshman Website...this is where you can set up a GW NetID (email), set up a visit in April, take the freshman survey, and much more!

The Class of 2015 Facebook Page...Meet friends from all around the world who have been admitted Early Decision and Regular Decision.  If you have questions, ASK!  Admissions Directors and students will be constantly checking the page to give you the best information available.

Colonial Inauguration...Check out GW awesome orientation program and register soon to make sure you get the dates you want! Get excited!

Housing...Look at floor plans, buildings, and special housing programs for your freshman year.  The application will be open soon so be sure to complete that!

We cannot wait to see you on campus and joining us in the Fall!!  Congratulations again!

 

Don't forget to email me or any of my fellow bloggers with any questions you may have!!  KWOLLNER@GWU.EDU

Congratulations!!!

Here's a shout out to all the incoming colonials!

Admissions decisions went out online last night, and everyone will be receiving their acceptance packets soon.  So here's a big congrats from me to you:

Be sure to join the GW Class of 2015 Facebook Page to connect with other members of the 2011-2012 freshman class!

Email me with questions about WHATEVER!  ShireenS@gwmail.gwu.edu

Congrats again!

<3 Shireen

Transfer Applications Due April 1st!

I recently received an email from an hopeful transfer student which reminded me that the deadline for those applications is quickly coming up on April 1st! GW considers anyone who has completed at least 1 college course as a transfer student. GW wants to see that you have done well academically at your home institution, but that there is an opportunity for you to thrive at our campus!

Check out this Admissions Website page to make sure you have all the requirements in on time! Also, here is the Transfer Applicant Checklist you can print out and work from :)

Hope you can become one of us! :)

Good luck and if you have any specific questions, email me and I can try to find the answer for you or you can post on the GW Undergraduate Admissions facebook page where representatives answer comments all day!!! Of course, you can also just call.. but that's not very hip. Haha just kidding the number is (202) 994-6040.

marisaw@gwmail.gwu.edu
- Marisa

Feburary Visit Days!

It has been a crazy weekend here at GW!  With over 600 visitors today alone, our tour guides are busy walking backwards all over campus showing the wonderful George Washington University!

With the long weekend we all knew to prepare for large amounts of visitors, but I am not sure if anyone could have expected this massive group!  But don't fret, our visit program was ready for the challenge.  We reached out to all of our tour guides to put in some extra time this weekend to do an extra tour.  I even did an extra information session this Saturday to do my part. 

If you are planning a visit sometime soon this is how you sign up...Follow this link to our visit calendar, choose the day you are planning on coming, choose the visit options you want to participate in, enter in your information and you are all set!!

You have a lot of options to choose from too!  We generally offer two information sessions, two Foggy Bottom tours, and two Mt. Vernon Campus tours everyday, Monday thru Saturday.  Rain or shine, hail or sleet, our tour guides will be decked out with the appropriate, weather-proof clothing to ensure the best tour possible!

During the information session an admissions director and a student explain academics, campus life, and the application process to the visitors.  It is a great way to get a general overview of the university and ask any questions you may have!

So come and visit!  We would love to have you!  Even if you come on a day we aren't having a tour, download and print the Foggy Bottom Walking tour or the Mt. Vernon Walking tour.

Hope to see you all soon!

Don't forget to email me if you have any questions!

A Thank You @ Work

This past Friday we had a big surprise at the office of Undergraduate Admissions.  We have never had so many applications this complete before.  We have been working our butts off to make sure all of you have your applications processed correctly, emails answered quickly, and phone calls answered.

So as a thank you, the admissions directors bought Georgetown Cupcakes for all of the student staff.  (They were even personalized with GW's and ADM's.)

We had chocolate ganache, red velvet, vanilla, chocolate lava, coconut, strawberry, and peanut butter.

You may be familar with Georgetown Cupcake from its television show "DC Cupcakes" on TLC.  The series showcases the sisters who started the business and grew it into a huge success!!

Georgetown is not the only place to get a great cupcake!  There are bakeries popping up all over the District!  Baked and Wired. Crumbs. Hello Cupcake. Cake Love. The list can go on and on.  There is even a cupcake food cart called Curbside Cupcakes!

Speaking of food carts....that will be my next blog!  Be sure to look for it soon!

Hope I got your mouth watering for some sweets. :)

Until next time,
Kim